Introduction

Sustainability has become a key focus for many organizations as climate change, regulatory
pressures and societal demands for greater environmental and social responsibility have
increased. For employers, this focus means a different way of doing business. Alongside
economic considerations of growth and profit, organizations should be held accountable for their
impacts on society and the environment. In addition, they should assess social and environmental
risks and opportunities when making all business decisions. This approach is often referred to as
the triple bottom line, the simultaneous delivery of positive results for people, planet and
profit. Indeed, aspects of sustainability, such as environmental stewardship, workplace
responsibility, human rights protection and good corporate citizenship, are increasingly part of an
organizations social legitimacy. The HR function is critical to achieving such as environmental
stewardship, workplace responsibility, human rights protection and good corporate citizenship,
are increasingly part of an organizations social legitimacy.

The HR function is critical to achieving success in a sustainability driven organization.
Sustainability practice pervades every aspect of doing business and needs to be embedded across
an organization at all levels, becoming an ongoing change process. Since the prime focus and
skills of HR professionals include organizational process, change management and culture
stewardship, they should take a leading role in developing and implementing sustainability
strategy.

This report aids human resource management (HRM) practitioners in understanding
sustainability in an organizational context. It can be used as a guide for the HR function to
support sustainable business and perform HRM sustainably. Divided into two main sections, this
report begins by examining the critical role HRM plays in sustainability and the HRM tools
available to embed sustainability strategy in the organization. The second section introduces a
roadmap to sustainable HRM. It outlines global business approaches to sustainability, labor
standards and specific aspects of sustainable practice such as employee volunteering, employer
branding and green HRM. Finally, the report explores the new HR skills required for practicing
sustainable HRM and the applicability of sustainable HRM in different types of organizations.








Boosting morale through corporate volunteerism

Right away is a great time for organisations to go past their
normal corporate social obligation (CSR) exercises, for example, corporate generosity and
volunteerism.
Talking as of late at the fifth International Singapore Compact CSR Summit, Speaker of
Singapore's Parliament Halimah Yacob said that organizations could keep tabs on "social
enhancements" that might realize new business chances and more profit, which thus could help
to thin the salary crevice in Singapore. These enhancements may incorporate giving items and
administrations to lower-salary bunches and the elderly.
Singaporeans could additionally have an all the more satisfying pace of life and better social
wellbeing if organizations apply CSR standards, she noted. For instance, organizations founding
labour strategies which give workers better work-life equalization may see a more
comprehensive environment subsequently.
IPG Mediabrands is one organization that earnestly sways representatives to volunteer and
additionally imparts their ardors to others to motivate them to volunteer. "We are up for
anything: philanthropy runs, school tours; blood gift drives; or actually playing The Biggest
Loser to give cash or time to great reasons," says Prashant Kumar, President, World Markets
Asia, IPG Mediabrands.
"There is no corporate target to fulfil, or a particular reason to backing, or a CSR movement to
advertise," he includes. "As an organization that takes after a free enterprise approach towards
embracing a reason to help, we intend to help every individual's and each one group's ardors."
Case in point, in Thailand, the group used a few hours every Friday in painting classes, with the
best works of art at the end of the year being unloaded in a year-end industry reasonable to store
a kids' philanthropy. The Malaysia group took part in a blood gift drive, while the Singapore
business settings upheld the 10km Yellow Ribbon Run in backing of giving ex-wrongdoers an
opportunity to re-incorporate into social order.
Voluntary exercises have likewise been coordinated inside Mediabrands' Happiness Programme.
Case in point, in an approaching test, every office will organise a task to have any kind of effect
in their prompt group. The venture may include working with accomplices (customers, media
sellers, or altruistic associations) and take any shape or structure, from social event gifts, to
volunteering time to the organisation's exercises, to giving administrations as media office, or the
organization's own particular inward abilities. The test is pointed at discovering joy while
helping others, including however many associates as could reasonably be expected and making
the most amazing effect conceivable.
"We have likewise completed different engagement programmes with schools in the district. Our
senior pioneers are swayed to instruct at heading source organizations around the area," Kumar
includes. "Thailand for example has started a mentorship programme for maturing media
people."

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR CSR
Almost all significant organizations confer exertions in somehow to an extensive variety of CSR
programmes, and gladly show their great corporate citizenship to stakeholders on official sites or
in their publicizing crusades.
Likewise, consistently one can go over different corporate social obligation rankings, for
example, the GLOBAL 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World positioning, or
Newsweek's Green Rankings posting the organisations with the most astounding level of
inclusion in mindful ecological practices.
As stated by exploration by Purdue University, formal or organized volunteering has a positive
total impact on the mental and physical action of workers as they age. The study, headed by the
chief of Purdue's Centre on Ageing and Life Course, Kenneth Ferraro, uncovered that "more
established grown-ups who were occupied with normal volunteering had slower expands in
physical handicap, and they stayed autonomous and physically dynamic for a more drawn out
time of time".
Ferraro ascribes these effects to the banquet of social engagement accomplished through
volunteering. Exact proof underpins that the individuals who volunteer on a consistent support
have better cardiovascular health, less dejection, and easier circulatory strain than the individuals
who are not included in volunteerism.
"Voluntary exercises captivate individuals in a totally diverse manner. They give representatives
an opportunity to cooperate, get familiar with each one in turn energies, and take pride in having
the ability to have any kind of effect altogether," says Kumar.
"We have seen larger amounts of camaraderie, fearlessness and individuals liking themselves
after (they) have been included in a voluntary action," he notes. "My groups have let me know
about feeling deliberate and having the ability to better know their qualities and shortcomings,
Something a workshop or classroom chance doesnt do,prioritizing. Unfortunately, CSR
programmes are often the first to feel the impact of budget cuts. As a result, the ability to prove
and improve-the value of volunteer.Programmes is critical to attractingWe go with qualitative
evaluation of the outcomes, Kumar says about Mediabrands voluntererism promotion. We
give our employees feedback forms on an initiative taken and over the course of time have begun
to understand what they would like to do and what activity brings the best outcome.

We dont make volunteering a corporate objective or part of a CSR activity and have seen this
being extremely successful as it is not associated with a budget or any corporate goals, he adds.
We believe volunteering must be a natural thing and a matter of choice and a personal
connection, not a corporate connection. This approach has worked best for us.

Challengesaplenty

While volunteerism brings about higher benefit, higher worker resolve, and can support in
maintenance and enrolling, there may be some potential negative viewpoints also.
Case in point, the greatest concern is that urging workers to take an interest in worker
volunteerism programmes can make them feel that the support is more required than voluntary,
and in that way all the representative's work disposition, including characteristic inspirations,
may not be expanded as one might need, says Kumar.
"Worker volunteerism programmes may likewise partition representatives into those that partake
and know one another better, and those that are not occupied with volunteering and therefore
may get a handle on left," he includes. "Besides, representative volunteerism programmes are
extra exercises that may divert representatives from regular work errands."
At last, volunteering must be a staff-headed movement, not a corporate-headed one. Staff must
be enabled to assume responsibility. "We likewise don't anticipate that representatives will invest
a lot of time organising occasions that detract them from their real work. This is the place
collaborating with a great philanthropy gets important," says Kumar.
"Additionally, we don't set high objectives. Little methods for having any kind of effect are
maybe the best, particularly for groups like our own which don't have a completely fledged CSR
objective," he includes.
"Volunteering is in fact a basic, yet important method for building trust and trust around groups
and I might say, each one organization huge or little can start to empower volunteering just
about quickly." Kumar prompts. "The profits it pays are coloss

Greening up the workplace
Organisations that think profoundly about their surroundings and social order
are less averse to deal with their representatives. Thus, lies the draw of maintainable
organizations around occupation seekers.
As stated by a 2012 study directed by US-based online employment board Theladders, 72% of
occupation seekers might like to work for an "eco-cognizant" organization.
The review likewise found that 75% of representatives might be quick to change their every day
routine if their organization furnished them with little impetuses to be green.
Nonetheless, practicality isn't practically minimising natural effects its greater than that, says
Shirley Chua, chief of interchanges and effort, Singapore Environment Council. "In the
connection of HR, its all the more about taking a long haul perspective, and that is the key
normal for a manageable organisation a sympathy toward what's to come survival of the
business, not simply of present productivity."
As stated by Chua, HR can have significant influence in manageability as far as dealing with the
relationship between the business and its workforce. "Be that as it may, the test for advanced
organizations is one of changing workforces in light of the fact that today's workforce is
altogether different from past eras," she says.

Boosting Staff Morale
Earth cognizant organizations regularly have an edge over the opposition concerning ability
fascination.
Junior representatives nowadays try to join an organisation whose society resounds with their
own particular individual qualities, Retnam Pui Yim, Vice President of Corporate Services, YTL
Powerseraya. "They might want to be connected with an organization that looks after nature's
domain. This is obvious in a portion of the questions that our HR division has led for potential
competitors. They were quick to join YTL Powerseraya as a result of its dynamic inclusion in
green practices."
As stated by the Singapore Environment Council, green practices are by and large positive in
nature and assistance to guarantee representatives that their organization is concentrated on its
end result as well as is similarly aware of the earth and the effect it has on staff.
Green programmes are likewise a great approach to help worker engagement. An animated green
programme to reliably captivate staff will particularly help the individuals who quality green
practices to ponder their inclusion and, accordingly, prompt more amazing engagement and
feeling of having a place in the organization, says Retnam.
Workers who as of recently embrace green practices in their home might additionally feel more
captivated and more satisfied working in an organization that likewise embraces green practices,
says Retnam. "Aggregate green deliberations in the organization can help construct a normal
reason and this helps tie staff parts and support their resolve."
YTL Powerseraya, which is an ensured Eco-office (see: boxout) incorporates green activities in
its corporate social obligation exercises. Case in point, it led pot-painting workshops with its
embraced philanthropy GROW, which set finished potted plants in staff work ranges. "Having
such plants at work can help towards a superior nature, enhance indoor air quality and push
staff's prosperity," says Retnam.
Socially-mindful organizations additionally emanate a more alluring boss brand. Organizations
that take after naturally sound activities, for example, electronic indexing, auto offering,
remotely coordinating, reusing, web preparing, and vitality effective office spaces leave a
positive effect. "All these measures don't simply guarantee agreeability and enhance profit, they
likewise have an effect on impalpable yet significant holdings, for example, brand and notoriety.
Representatives are pulled in to organizations who run their organizations and accomplish
objectives in a manner that adjusts to their qualities, and join their business choices to moral,
social and natural concerns," Chua says.








Sharing with the community

CSR is regularly released as a warm and fluffy idea with no genuine business profit. In any case,
that view is changing as organizations acknowledge there are wide business and different profits
to great CSR.
A worldwide IBM study, for instance, found that numerous organizations now see CSR as a
development chance as opposed to simply an administrative agreeability or generous exertion,
with 68% kept tabs on creating income through CSR exercises while a further 54% accept CSR
activities assistance give a focused business advantage.
At last, be that as it may, CSR is about such a great amount of more than how the money adds
up. Purchasers, speculators and representatives all search for pointers of long haul victory and
methodology, and not only how the money adds up, says Olivia Lum, Founder of the Hyflux
Group and the President of Singapore Compact, a national social order made to advancement
Singapore's CSR system.
To stay beating the competition, she says managers ought to look to actualizing CSR as a great
business system as "it adjusts maintainable benefits to social advancement objectives".

Banking with a heart
The keeping money group in Singapore has taken a proactive methodology to CSR, and Standard
Chartered Bank is one bank that has met with measurable accomplishment in its CSR activities.
Beam Ferguson, Regional Chief Executive for Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard
Chartered Bank, says the bank has dependably been receptive to building a supportable business
that is "adjusted to the requirements of the group".
The bank is included with a few group and philanthropy programmes, a critical one being
'Existing with HIV'. The programme is a shared instruction activity to bring issues to light of
HIV in the group.
Ferguson clarifies that the programme was started in 1999 by workers who understood that their
partners were truant because of their own or their relatives sick health in Africa. The bank
understood that HIV was having a "hindering effect on numerous representatives in key African
markets".
With the programme, Standard Chartered has contacted 50,000 people in schools and
organizations in Singapore to teach them about HIV.
As the establishing part of the AIDS Business Alliance in Singapore, the bank's senior
administration has given talks at workshops and courses at spots, for example, NTUC and
Singapore Management University. The bank was additionally included in the seventh Singapore
AIDS gathering on the best way to actualize a Hiv/aids work environment programme.
In any case, Ferguson sincerely says there are tests in receiving CSR programmes in any
organization, and in Standard Chartered's case, that test is attaining dynamic cooperation.
"Workers may not completely comprehend why volunteering is so essential and may be hesitant
to partake in the exercises. Anyhow after some time, we have made an extremely solid society,
headed by our administration group," he says.
The bank has attempted different measures to take get its staff included, including three days of
volunteering leave in a year. As a business method, the bank's CSR activities have not gone
unnoticed. Standard Chartered has been pulling in new ability in light of upgraded open
recognition because of its CSR programmes. "Fifty percent of our new graduate petitioners
refered to our methodology to CSR a component when picking Standard Chartered over different
organizations' graduate programmes," says Ferguson.















References:
1. HRMs Role in Corporate Social and Environmental Sustainability
[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/documents/4-
12%20csr%20report%20final%20for%20web.pdf. [Accessed 12 March 2014].
2. HRM Asia-Sharing with community
[ONLINE] Available at:http://www.hrmasia.com/resources/csr/sharing-with-the-
community/108591/. [Accessed 12 March 2014].